The recent anniversary event marking the 25th anniversary of the OutDoor
fair in Friedrichshafen was also its last. From next year onward, Messe
München will host the OutDoor show. Accordingly, the mood alternated
between melancholy and upliftment.

OutDoor will be OutDoor by Ispo

The 25th edition of OutDoor in Friedrichshafen was supposed to be a
party. According to its motto "OutDoor for All," Messe Friedrichshafen
wanted to bring everyone together this time: industry, commerce and
consumers. Thus, events were not only organised at the OutDoor exhibition
grounds but also in the city. A highlight was the German DAV Boulder
Championship in Hall B5 at the exhibition center, which attracted several
hundred Boulder fans the previous day and on the first day of the fair.

That the jubilee fair is now the last of its kind in Friedrichshafen has
only been known for less than half a year. At that time, a majority of the
members of the European Outdoor Group (EOG) decided in a secret vote to
change over to Messe München, where the OutDoor by Ispo will take place for
the first time in the summer of 2019. Christian Schneidermeier, CEO of
Ortovox, said: "For me personally, it is a pity that it was the last time
in Friedrichshafen. Here on Lake Constance is a beautiful location and a
great atmosphere. In our industry, it's all about emotions and that has
always been right over here.“

Friedrichshafen is planning its own outdoor fair

But Friedrichshafen does not want to say goodbye to the outdoor industry
for good. All over the exhibition grounds were posters announcing the
counter event "Outdoor 2019 - simply different", which the fair organisers
want to launch next year. Who exactly will exhibit there and what concept
Friedrichshafen wants to offer is not known yet. Andreas Schechinger,
managing director of Tatonka said: "Like many of our customers, we would
have welcomed it if both exhibition companies had clearly communicated
their future concepts of the entire industry in the trade fair
environment." Messe München will announce how it plans to present itself to
the outdoor industry in 2019 on 27th June in Munich.

Trends: Urban Outdoor and HangOut

Outdoor is growing. This was the positive message by EOG president John
Jansen when presenting the balance sheet during a press conference at the
fair. The biggest growth drivers were by far footwear with 13.4 percent,
followed by sleeping bags and mattresses with 9.7 percent and climbing gear
with 6.7 percent. Clothing also grew by 5 percent. The only minus was
recorded by the tent segment with -9.8 percent. The three strongest
European markets are Germany, France and UK.

The fair identified the urban outdoor segment as a driving force behind
the growth as well as the so-called hangout trend. "The success of outdoor
has to do with deceleration as research has shown repeatedly", said the
press spokesman of the fair. An example should be the HangOut area at
OutDoor in Friedrichshafen: a haven of peace in the hectic day-to-day
activities of the fair
on one hand; on the other, a trend for the specialised outdoor trade. More
than 20 companies took part in the HangOut area with products, activities,
challenges and discussions. Martin Koessler, initiator of the 'HangOut
Area' at the OutDoor in Friedrichshafen, explained: "The central element is
'being together'. To share time and experiences with old friends and new
ones is an activity in itself, especially if you have meals together
outside and spend the night together." Exhibitors therefore included
suppliers of hammocks, camping equipment, water treatment, among others.

Like last time, there was a separate urban outdoor area with lifestyle
brands such as United by Blue, Pally Hi, Icebug and Heimplanet. But also
classic outdoor brands presented a sometimes very clearly fashionable
influence in their SS2019 collections. Mammut, for example, showed the
results of its reorientation with a cutting-edge black and white theme that
was applied consistently to everything from hiking boots and backpacks to
climbing ropes. Even pastels - so far nonexistent in the outdoor world -
could be seen in numerous collections.

Fewer exhibitors and visitors

According to the show organisers, 950 exhibitors from 40 countries
showcased around 200 innovations for the anniversary edition of OutDoor
2018, which attracted 30,000 visitors. Nevertheless, according to numerous
exhibitors and visitors, the exhibition halls felt very empty at times,
especially on Sunday and on Wednesday. Among the exhibitors, visitor
magnets like Salewa and Salomon kept away from the fair repeatedly. Whether
Munich will be able to reactivate these important outdoor players remains
to be seen.

This article was originally written for FashionUnited.de. Translated
and edited by Simone Preuss